How to Find Cheap Hotels In Monrovia, Liberia

The U.S. Department of State currently discourages American citizens from traveling to Liberia. While its largest city, Monrovia, is somewhat safer than outlying areas, and things are improving since the January 2006 election of a new president, visitors are still advised to hold off on traveling to Monrovia if at all possible. Whether they're cheap or costly, accommodations should never be considered completely safe.

Things You'll Need

• A valid passport
• The appropriate visas
• A computer with Internet access

Instructions

Plan Your Transportation

1. Arrange for transportation from the airport. All international flights are serviced by Roberts International Airport, 42 miles outside of Monrovia. Public transportation to the city is not always available, but cheap fares in public taxis can occasionally be found.

2. Expect delays. UNMIL security checkpoints, as well as those around area bridges and certain throughways can sometimes take hours to pass through.

Book Your Hotel

1. Ask others who have recently traveled to Monrovia about where they found cheap accommodations during their stay. Often accommodations differ in person vastly from the way they're advertised.

2. Confirm your reservations well in advance and then again within 48 hours before your arrival to secure your lodging.

3. Contact a travel agent. Inform your agent of your plans to find cheap, safe accommodations. Your agent can acquire the latest information about travelling to Liberia and find hotels that are both cheap and secure.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to have enough cash to pay the exit tax on your way out of Liberia. A standard $25 tax is charged to each visitor.

• There is no official booking Web site or phone number for Liberia.

• Register with the US Embassy. If you must travel to Liberia, contacting the US Embassy and informing them of your trip means that you can be contacted in case of emergencies. Visit the State Department's travel registration Web site for further information (see Resources below).

• Exercise caution when driving or being driven in Monrovia. Traveling in land vehicles in Monrovia can be hazardous. Road conditions are often bad. Little if any adherence to driving laws is observed.

• Use caution at all times in Monrovia. Due to the existing undercurrent of political tension in Liberia, periodic violence can occur.

• Regardless of the nation's revitilization, Monrovia is still very poverty-stricken. Muggings and robberies--particularly of tourists--are common.

• Don't travel outside of the city. Avoid going out at night.